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The phrase “gospel-centered” is fast entering the Evangelical mainstream. We are encouraged to be gospel-centered or to preach the gospel to ourselves. It is easy to say but, in my experience, far more difficult to do. This morning David Murray and I spoke with Joe Thorn about this very thing.

Joe Thorn is Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, IL and is the author of the great little book Note To Self. We took the opportunity to ask Joe what it means to be gospel-centered, whether the gospel truly applies to all of life, and then to give some practical pointers for how to preach the gospel to yourself in joy and in pain. Speaking personally I found it very, very helpful. So why don’t you give it a listen? It will take less than 30 minutes of your time and I think you’ll be well-rewarded for the effort.

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

I am woefully underqualified, or perhaps just plain unqualified, to evaluate rap music. Whatever I say on the subject, at least as it pertains to the beats and the rhythms and any other component that makes rap what it is, should be taken with a grain of salt. Or two. Maybe even three.

However, even if I am unqualified to speak of the music as music, I can at least comment on the lyrical content and on my personal feelings toward an album. And with the full weight of my complete lack of qualification I say that Shai Linne’s new album The Attributes of God is the best rap album I’ve heard; at least, it’s definitely my favorite.

As you may have surmised from the title, this is an album that speaks of God’s attributes. In a statement in the liner notes, Shai writes this:

In releasing this music, I’m hoping for something that is humanly impossible. My hope is that this collection of songs would point beyond themselves to the God who is described in them. That as His character as revealed in Exodus 33:18 – 34:14 is expounded through rhythmic poetry, complex rhyme schemes, melody, harmony and instrumentation —the heart of the listener would be compelled to exalt God and to love and trust and adore Him. To the extent that I have failed in this attempt, I am solely to blame. To the extent that I have succeeded, all of the credit goes to God. Soli Deo Gloria!

This is a noble goal and certainly a brave one. And what’s more, I think he has succeded. By combining that rhythmic poetry along with the rhymes, melodies, harmonies and instrumentations, he has crafted an album that speaks powerfully of the attributes and character of God. It is an album not of personal experiences with God, but rather an album that delights in the God who is. He writes of God’s glory, goodness, sovereignty, holiness, wrath and patience and love and faithfulness and so on.

So how does someone go about writing a song that delights in God’s wrath? Here is how Shai did it:

Our guest on this week’s edition of The Connected Kingdom podcast is ex-Mormon and now Christian author Latayne Scott. She answers questions like these ones:

How did you become a Mormon?

How were you converted to Christ?

Is Mormonism a cult?

Can a Christian vote for Mitt Romney?

What are the changes in and challenges to Mormonism?

How should we evangelize Mormons? Should we invite them into our homes?

Through Zondervan, Latayne has just published a new and updated edition of The Mormon Mirage. You can also catch up with her at her blog Latayne.com.

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

David and I are back this week with another episode of The Connected Kingdom podcast—episode 20 in this second season. This week’s guest is Timmy Brister. A short time ago he wrote a blog post about preaching from a manuscript; since David and I have often discussed not preaching from a manuscript, we thought this would open up an opportunity to discuss that topic. We hope you enjoy it!

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

Our guest on this week’s Connected Kingdom podcast is Rico Tice who founded Christianity Explored. Because I am on the far side of the continent, David took the lead in interviewing Rico. Be sure to give it a listen!

Rico Tice is Associate Minister of Evangelism at All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. He is also Founder of Christianity Explored, the evangelistic introductory course to Christianity. This week on the Connected Kingdom podcast, Rico talks about the impact of John Stott upon his life and ministry, how his previous singleness made Christianity Explored possible, and how he keeps his own evangelistic fervor alive. US listeners can find Christianity Explored resources here.

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

After a long summer hiatus, The Connected Kingdom Podcast is back. David and I got back in front of our microphones yesterday and recorded the first podcast in some time—and the 18th podcast in season 2. Because it has been a while, we mostly got caught up with one another, talking about David’s new book, about my new position at Grace Fellowship Church and about my crazy schedule over the next couple of weeks.

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

This week’s guest on The Connected Kingdom is Paul Tautges. Paul is a pastor, author, counselor and father of ten(!). He has recently begun a new blog called Counseling One Another. In this podcast, the last one we’ll be recording until after the summer, David and I speak to Paul about the importance of setting counseling within the context of Christian discipleship (which in turn takes it out of the exclusive hands of the experts).

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

This week’s guest on The Connected Kingdom is Dr. Ken Stewart, who is Professor of Theological Studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Intervarsity Press recently published Dr. Stewart’s book Ten Myths About Calvinism: Recovering the Breadth of the Reformed Tradition. David and I spoke to him about the Old Calvinism about the New Calvinism and about what the even newer future Calvinism may look like. Here is a table of contents pointing out some of the highlights of our discussion:

1:30 - Overview of the ten myths about Calvinism

9:35 - Purpose and audience of the book

11:00 - Our polarized movement; who has the inside track on explaining and articulating the Reformed faith; too many Calvinist authorities

14:47 - Clarification on Calvinistic brands

16:15 - Did we blow the Rob Bell situation?

29:06 - Theological accountability and Gospel Coalition

31:42 - Fault lines in Calvinism

There is lots of interesting food for thought in this podcast!

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

This week’s guest on The Connected Kingdom podcast is Alex Chediak who is the author of the brand new book Thriving at College, a book that about how college students can launch into responsible, fruitful adulthood for the glory of God against the backdrop of a young adult culture that often values perpetual adolescence and the avoidance of responsibility. In this interview Alex talks about who he wrote the book for, he discusses who should and should not go to college and offers up some sound advice for the parents of young people.

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

In this week’s edition of The Connected Kingdom, David and I discuss a topic that we’ve both written about but never actually talked to one another about—children’s devotions. I wanted David to explain why he created a program of personal devotions for his children and then wanted to describe how I’ve adapted it a little bit for my own children. You may want to see this article for reference. We discuss the importance of having children learn to do devotions on their own while also touching on family devotions and the importance of a father leading his children in this area.

If you want to give us feedback or join in the discussion, go ahead and look up our Facebook Group or leave a comment right here. You will always be able to find the most recent episode here on the blog. If you would like to subscribe via iTunes, you can do that here or if you want to subscribe with another audio player, you can try this RSS link.

About Tim Challies

I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, and am a co-founder of Cruciform Press.